Pokemon Legends: Z-A Needs To Avoid One Violet Issue for New Pokemon

Summary

Pokemon Legends: Z-Ahas fans speculating about all kinds of inclusions, but which Pokemon show up is one of the most important. If Game Freak decides to add any new Pokemon inLegends Z-Athough, there’s one mistake fromPokemon Violetit needs to learn from.

In recent years,Pokemongames have given fans loads of different varieties of new Pokemon. Between regional variants, convergent species, regional evolutions, and others, players have been spoiled with new creatures. So, naturally, fans are wondering which, if any,new regional variants will show up inLegends Z-A.Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s addition to this list came in the form of Paradox Pokemon, which originated from the past inScarletand the future inViolet. While opinions vary, the consensus is thatScarlet’s past Pokemon generally look good, butViolet’s future Pokemon were lacking. WithPokemon Legends: Z-Aseeming to take place in the future, this mistake is looming large when it comes to the design of new Pokemon from future eras.

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Why Violet’s Paradox Pokemon Didn’t Meet Expectations

Game Freak faced a unique challenge in creating Paradox Pokemon, both the past and future versions. It clearly wanted to use existing Pokemon that fans were familiar with, but the designs also had to look different enough to be distinct. The solution, it seems, was to base each era on existing concepts, the past Pokemon being based on dinosaurs, and the future ones on robots. Both of those ideas sound good on paper, but Pokemon tend to look better as organic life forms. The past Paradox Pokemon had plenty of variety in design, color, and inspiration, while thefuture Paradox Pokemon just looked like uniform robots. There were some good design choices for the future variants, like floating elements, and using specific machine parts for the gimmick of Iron Treads, but mostly, no future form felt different enough from any other.

How Game Freak Could Change its Design of Futuristic Pokemon

SincePokemonLegends: Z-Atakes place in the futureand fans want new Pokemon in each game, it seems like Game Freak has painted itself into a corner considering the reception of future Paradox Pokemon. A good way to please fans could be to create something in between normal Pokemon and their robotic counterparts. Introducing Pokemon that are partly organic, but have metallic components, could be the best way to go. Game Freak could also lean into the idea of man-made Pokemon, like Porygon, which is visibly different from organic life, but still looks fun and colorful.

Another option lies in the game’s narrative.Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais going to focus on the expansion of Lumiose City, but side stories might be able to revolve around other expansions in technology. Specifically, the invention of robotic Pokemon or electronic gear for Pokemon to wear might fit naturally into the game’s story.

In this way, Game Freak could add more Pokemon that look similar to the futuristic Paradox forms, and the overall reception could be better knowing the story of how they came to be. After all,Legends Arceusshowcased the exploration and formation of a new region, so maybeLegends Z-Acan explore a different leap in human society. WhereLegends Arceusshowed the beginning of the technological revolution in thePokemonworld,Legends Z-Acould focus on the next period of technological growth, emphasizing the foil between thepast and future inPokemongames.

There have been cases where Game Freak repeated certain mistakes, such asGen 9’s Dondozo and Tatsugiri being Accelgor and Escavalierall over again due to them working in tandem, meaning they need to be present simultaneously in future titles. As such, given that the reception of future Paradox mons is not overly positive,Pokemon Legends: Z-Ashould tread carefully with new futuristic designs. This could mean having only a few futuristic elements in each design rather than full-blown robotic features, and it could be a good thing forPokemon Legends: Z-Ato experiment with this direction.